Coal-weighing basket



(No Model.) S. JONES, S. B. BISHOP & T. O. DU PONT.

GOAL WEIGHING BASKET.

No. 499,120. Patented June 6, 1893.

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SIMON JONES AND SAMUEL B. BISHOP, OF HAMILTON, AND THOMAS C. DU PONT, OF CENTRAL CITY, KENTUCKY.

COAL WEIGHlNG BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,120, dated June 6, 1893..

Application filed January 6. 1393- Serial No. 457,525- (No model.)

To aZZ wig/0m it may concern.-

Be it known that we, SIMON JONES and SAM- UEL B. BISHOP, of Hamilton, in the county of Ohio, and THOMAS C. DU Form, of Central City, in the county of Muhlenberg, State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Ooal-WVeighingBaskets, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is in the nature of an improved weighing basket for weighing coal in transit from the inclined screens or chutes to the railway car. Ordinarily in mining coal it is dumped fromamining car onto an inclined screen whose bars are one and one-half inches apart, and all the coal that goes over the screen is received into a weighing basket holding the contents of the small mining car, and in which basket it is weighed and then discharged into the car. As the miner is only paid for mining such coal as goes over oneand-one-half-inch screen it is desirable that all coal over this size should be weighed together as a basis of settlement with the miner, but it is sometimes desirable also that this coal (for which the minor receives pay) should be subdivided into other grades and be loaded into different cars, or that this screened coal should be remixed with the small coal for which the miner is not paid, as for instance, in selling steam coal or run of mines coal.

Our invention provides a peculiar construction and arrangementof weighing basket that permits the miners quota of coal to be weighed at one operation,and yet separate this quantity of coal while in the basket into different grades that may be separately discharged into different cars, or be loaded with the other coal which goes through the one-and-onehalfinch screen, for which the miner is not paid.

In selling steam or run of mines coals, which comprehend all sizes including slack and nut, it has been the custom to estimate the miners proportion, or the part of the coal for which the miner or operator receives pay, and this is fruitful of discontent and dissatisfaction, as the miner often thinks himself not fairly treated. Our invention provides for the definite weighing of his proportion (2'. e. all over one and one-half inch) without extra handling, and also permits of either the subdivision or remixing of the coal in the cars to suit the wants of the consumer.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the weighing basket shown in connection with two screens of the chute. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a vertical 1011- gitudinal section of the basket.

In the drawings X represents the weighing basket, which is suspended by four rods b at its four corners from a platform a; above, which forms apart of, or is connected to, the platform of a weighing scales. The basket X is held in an inclined position and has at its higher end a partition Z parallel with its bottom dividing the basketinto an upper and lower compartment at its higher end, but this partition being much shorter than the length of the basket, the upper and lower compartments at the higher end merge into a single compartment at the lower end. This basket is suspended at the end of the screen or chute down which the coal passes when dumped from the mining car, and each load so dumped is weighed in the basket, and then discharged into the subjacent railway cars, whose tracks are brought into convenient position under the basket. In the drawings we show two screens of the chute, the one M being on a line with the middle partition Z of the basket, and the other N on a line with the bottom of the basket. The screen M has its bars set three and one-half inches apart, and those of N are one and one-half inches apart, so that all coal that passes over these screens, or is larger than one and one-half inches, is received into the basket to be weighed, and this is what the miner is paid for. All coal that passes through the one-and-o11e-half-inch screen (i. e. the nut and the slack) is not received in the basket, and this the miner is not paid for. The coal that passes into the basket is known as lump, that which passes over the threeand-one-half inch screen being known as prime lump. These grades while weighed "together, to determine the miners pay, are sometimes sold together, and sometimes separately, and we will now describe the mechanism which permits these grades to be separately discharged into different cars, or into the same car as the case may be.

In the bottom of the basket is formed an opening to the lower side of which is hinged at A a door B working within the basket, and an apron 0 working outside the basket. The apron O is arranged to either shut up against and close the opening in the bottom of the basket, or discharge the contents of the lower compartment of the basket into a car. The door B serves either to throw both compartments into one and close the lower end of this compartment as shown at B in full lines Fig. 3, or separate the two compartments as shown at B in dotted lines, or throw the two compartments into one and close the opening in the bottom of the basket as shown in dotted lines at B This door is held in the position B by a detachable rod E supported in the sides of the basket, and in the position B is held by a detachable rod E similarly supported in the sides of the basket. At the lower end of the basket is another apron D, which when let down discharges the contents of the basket. into a car, and when raised closes the rear end of the basket, being held in this closed position by a hook y or other fastening. Both these aprons are provided with countcrbalancing weights, which preponderate in weight suflicicnt-ly to overbalance and operate the'se aprons. The apron D is connected by cords or chains d to a Windlass W journaled in the upper edges of the basket, and this apron has its cord or chain dwound up on the Windlass by the gravity of a countel-balance weight F whose cord f is wound upon the Windlass in a reverse direction to d. The apron O has attached at each side a cord or chain T, which passes over a pulley t on the side of the basket, and is wound upon the ends of the Windlass outside the basket. The gravity of this apron O is over-balanced by a weight G, whose cord 9 is wound upon the Windlass in the reverse direction to that of the cords T so that the gravitation of this weight G closes the apron 0.

At the ends of the Windlass its axis is provided with clutch sections S and P at one end,

and S P at the other end. The clutch sections S and S are mounted upon rounded portions of the axis, see Fig. 1, and upon them are wound the ropes f and g which operate the two aprons. The clutch sections P and P are mounted upon squared portions of the I axis, and through them, when engaged with S S, the strain of the weights F and G isimparted to the Windlass. Upon the clutch sections S and S are also strap brakes r 0" controlled by levers K and K. When these levers are pressed down and their lower. ends are linked or coupled to rods H by the links Z, the clutch sections S and S are held immovable.

We will now describe the operation of the device. When the two grades of coal which go over the screens M and N are to be weighed together, but discharged into different cars, both aprons O and D are closed and door B is put in the position B. The large coal (prime lump) run ning over three and one-half inches goes over partition Z and into the lower or right hand part of the basket and bears against apron D, and the smaller grade, running over one and one-half inches but less than three and one-halt inches, goes into the space bounded by the bottom of the hasket, the partition Z, and door B. These two grades being the coal for which the miner is paid, the load is weighed, and the brakes being now released, the Weight of the coal on the aprons C and D throws them open and discharges the prime lump into a car beneath apron D, and the other grade into a separate car beneath apron 0. As the last part of the load is discharged the brakes are put on again to prevent the aprons from closing on the last part of the coal, and as soon as the hasket is clear, the brakes are removed, and the weights F and G again wind up the aprons to their former closed position. If both grades of coal'are to be discharged through apron D into the same car, door B is placed in the position B and the two grades of coal mix in the basket, and are discharged together through D. If both grades of the weighed coal are to be discharged through apron G into one car along with the nut and slack (that is not weighed but comes down on screen 0 shown in dotted lines below N) as in loading run of mines coal, then apron D is fastened up by hook y, and its weight F is thrown out by detaching clutch section P from S. The door B is then put in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, and apron C only is operated. In this case the miners quota of coal (all over one and onehalf inch) is still weighed, but it is all mixed again with the nut or the nut and slack that comes down below screens M and N. Again if it is desired to separate the prime lump (over three and one-half inches) into one car and put the second grade of lump (over one and one-half inches and less than three and one-half) into the same car with the nut that is not weighed, as in furnishing steam coal, the door B is put in the position B and both aprons O and D are worked together. The prime lump then goes over apron D into one car, and the second grade of lump coal goes into another car with the nut from the threeand-one-half-inch screen 0, and still only the miners quota of coal is weighed.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the inclined and graduated screens M and N, of a coal weighing basket, having partition Z forming two compartments for different grades of coal with separating door between, and separate discharge aprons for each compartment, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination with the inclined and graduated screens M and N, of a coal weighing basket having partition Z forming two compartments for dilferent grades of coal with graduated screens M and N, of a coal weigh- W ing basket having partition Z forming two compartments for different grades of coal with separating door between, separate discharge aprons for said compartments, a Windlass with cords or chains connected to the discharge aprons, coanterbalancing weights also connected to the Windlass by cords or chains, and clutches for throwing either of the weights and its apron out of action substantially as shown and described.

hi SIMON 3 JONES.

m rk SAMUEI? B. BISHOP.

THOMAS C. DU PO'NT.

Witnesses for Simon Jones and Sam. B. Bishop:

WILLIAM H. CLARKE, O. P. WATHEN.

Witnesses for T. 0. du Pont:

M. J. FINNEGAN, L. WALKER. 

